Federal judge sides with Kettering University in discrimination suit by former instructor

FLINT, Michigan — An assistant professor who sued Kettering University for alleged discrimination based on his national origin has lost his case.

A federal judge sided with Kettering after the university argued that Michael Sanders was denied tenure and lost his job because of fraud and misrepresenting his achievements — not because of his Iranian heritage.

Kettering declined to comment and Sanders’ attorney could not be reached.

Sanders, a former assistant professor in Kettering’s department of industrial and manufacturing engineering, was suspended from his job in 2005 for alleged misconduct, according to court documents.

Sanders said he had met requirements in areas of teaching, institute services and scholarship but was denied tenure twice, documents show.

He believed he lost his job in part because of his national origin and as retaliation for complaining about discrimination, according to court filings.

But his case was rejected in Judge Victoria A. Roberts’ court after the university countered with an investigation finding that Sanders was absent from some of his classes, didn’t complete student evaluations, wrongfully listed himself as the primary author of an article and misrepresented himself as a keynote speaker at a conference.

Kettering cited at least five incidences of deliberate misrepresentations or inappropriate conduct over Sanders’ five years of employment, according to court records.

Sanders also failed to account for and return all funds donated for a conference that was canceled, despite repeated requests form the corporate donor, Kettering alleged.

The court deemed Sanders’ evidence was not enough to substantiate discrimination, including his claims that his mentor and program director made several derogatory comments about his “foreign” background.

Kettering had also promoted several other faculty members of Iranian origin, including Sanders’ brother, according to records.